Stay on target

I’m a fan of useful tools. I’ve sung the praises of iFixit’s Pro Tech Toolkit, and I keep a variety of multitools and utility knives by my desks at work and at home. I have a soft spot in my heart for Leatherman tools like the Wave, but Leatherman isn’t the only brand in town. SOG Knives is another excellent multitool company, and I’ve kept an early SOG PowerLock on my desk for a few years now. SOG recently sent me two of their more unique multitools, the Baton Q4 and Sync I, and I’ve been impressed by the creativity and quality of them.

SOG’s Batons tools reject the pliers-folded-in-half design of most multitools in favor of longer and sleeker sticks. They’re pen-shaped, with hinges in the middle that let the tools pull apart and “break” in half to reveal scissors (on the Baton Q1), a knife (on the Baton Q2), or pliers (on the Baton Q3 and Q4). To ensure the “multi” in multitool, they have other tools like a pen (Q1), flashlight (Q2), bottle opener (all of them), and others. The Q4 is the biggest and most versatile Baton, and that’s the model SOG sent.

Unlike the Baton Q1 or Q2, there’s no mistaking the Q4 for a pen or flashlight. It’s nearly seven inches long and 0.6 inches wide, with a square cross-section instead of a round one. When closed, it’s split into black and gunmetal-colored steel halves, with the line between them indicating where the Baton pulls apart. The top has a pocket clip, though you’ll need a pretty deep pocket to hold it without looking ridiculous.

To open the Baton Q4, just pull the two halves apart and fold them together, revealing the pliers. They have tapered jaws but aren’t quite needlenose, and the hinge has a pleasant spring tension that keeps them slightly apart when not held together. They don’t have the sheer power of the PowerLock’s geared jaws, but they also don’t feel nearly as stiff, which is my biggest complaint about the PowerLock.

The pliers are the only tool you need to open the Baton Q4 to get to. A drop-point knife, nail file, bottle opener/large flathead screwdriver, and can opener/small flathead screwdriver fold out from the top of the Q4 even when closed. These tools stay in place with a push-button locking system on the other side of the Q4, clicking in and remaining steady until you press the lock to release them.

The other end of the Q4, where the “pen” would be, is the tools’ real marvel. It’s a ratcheting bit driver, with a small switch that changes the ratchet between loosening and tightening, and a combination Philips and flathead driver bit stored in a compartment on the Q4’s body. I’ve seen several multitools with bit drivers, but this is the first one I’ve seen that ratchets. The driver takes a standard 1/4-inch bit, which means it works with the specialized bits in my iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit (with the toolkit’s 1/4-inch-to-4mm converter).

The Q4 comes with a nice leather carrying case that unrolls to reveal a tray of 12 more bits for use with the driver. They’re single-sided, but include Philips head, flathead, and even Torx in different sizes.

The Sync I isn’t as comprehensive as the Baton Q4, and it doesn’t have a bit driver (ratcheting or otherwise), but it’s just as clever and unique in design. It’s a very flat, compact folded-up-pliers multitool that SOG mounted on a combination belt buckle/money clip. When you need the Sync I, just press the button on the hinge and it slides out of its mount. When you want to put it away, just fold the tool up and hold the button down to slide it back into the mount, where it stays locked in place.

The Sync I unfolds to allow access to the short, tapered pliers and wire cutters, but those aren’t its only tools. When closed or open, you can pull the other four tools out from the arms of the multitool, like a pocketknife. It includes a knife, an awl, a file, and a small flathead screwdriver/bottle opener.

I prefer big, tool-laden multitools, but I can appreciate the Sync I’s simplicity and elegance, especially with its belt buckle/money clip holder. It’s quite well-made, just like the Baton Q4, with solid steel assembled with satisfyingly but not overwhelmingly tight hinges. If you want more tools on your belt, the SOG Sync II is a slightly bigger multitool that adds a Philips head screwdriver and a larger flathead screwdriver.

SOG multitools aren’t cheap. The Baton Q4 is $120 and the Sync I is $67, which seems pricey when you compare them with no-name multitools you can get online or at discount stores. They’re comparable in price and built quality with multitools and knives made by companies like Leatherman and Gerber. I’ve used every kind of multitool from big, name-brand metal beasts to cheap little pliers given away at events, and the difference in quality between the big brands and the generic tools is apparent as soon as you touch them. SOG multitools, like Leathermen multitools, are simply built better and stronger. They use better materials like solid steel instead of plastic plates on a metal skeleton, and they’re assembled with tighter, longer-lasting hinges that hold each tool in place more reliably.

I’m impressed by the creative designs of the SOG Baton Q4 and Sync I, and I think the former will be replacing my PowerLock as my go-to lab multitool (when I don’t need to reach into my full toolkit). Its pliers aren’t as strong and it doesn’t have as many individual tools, but the slim design and ratcheting bit driver are fantastic for the work I do.